Control device



Feb. 21, 1939. HANN 5;- AL 2,147,945

CONTROL DEVICE Filed May 18, 1956 INVE N QRs BY rm 4; M

duh, ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 21, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONTROL" DEVICE gan Application May 18, 1938, Serial No. 80,341

5 Claims.

Our invention relates generally to control devices and more particularly to valves for controlling flow of fluid. I

One of the objects of our invention is to provide a control device having a valve and having a new and improved adjustable stop means for limiting closing movement of the valve.

Another object of our invention is to provide a control device having a valve for controlling a stop means for limiting opening movement of the valve.

Another object of our invention is to provide a new and improved control device having a reposition to another to change the eifective flow capacity of a port between adjustable valve operating limits so as to provide for obtaining various diiferentials in port capacity changes to m accommodate different requirements.

Another object of our invention is to provide a control device of the above-mentioned character having a new and improved cooperative relation between the valve and its actuating means to insure desired controlling of a valve port.

The invention consists in the improved construction and combination of parts, to be more fully described hereinafter and the novelty of which will be particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, to be taken as a part of this specification, we have fully and clearly illustrated our invention, in which drawing- Figure 1 is a view shown partly in vertical cross section and partly in elevation of a control device embodying our invention; v Fig. 2 is a view shown partly in vertical cross section and partly in elevation of a modified form of our invention, and

0 Fig. 3 is a view of a portion of a valve member employed in the devices of Figs. 1 and 2.-

The control devices shown in Figs. 1 and 2 are adapted, among other uses, for controlling flow by gravity of liquid fuel from a constant level chem- 5 her I to a burner of a heating apparatus (not shown). The chamber l is defined by the walls of a hollow casing 2 and the casing and control device may be supported by a bracket 3 which preferably has a horizontal arm 4 on which the 0 casing 2 rests. The control devices shown include a valve housing or casing 5 which is preferably tubular in shape and, as shown in Fig. 1, extends vertically through chamber i having oppcsite end portions 6 and 1 projecting above and 5 below the top and bottom walls respectively of port and having a new and improved adjustable ciprocal valve operable to move directly from one the casing 2. The top and bottom walls of the casing 2 and the arm I of bracket 3 are provided with aligned apertures to receive the valve casing 5. The valve casing 5 may be provided with an external annular flange or shoulder 8 adjacent 5 its lower end for seating against the inner surface of the bottom wall of easing 2, and the lower end portion 1 of the valve casing may be externally threaded to receive a nut 9 by means of which the casings 5 and 2 and the bracket 3 may be tightly secured together.

The valve casing 5 may be provided in its side wall with one or more apertures i0 located at a suitable height above the bottom wall of the chamber 1, the apertures I0 providing communication between the interior of the constant level chamber I and the interior of the tubular valve casing 5. The lower end of the valve casing 5 may be internally threaded, as at II, for connection to a liquid flow line H through which fuel may flow by gravity to a burner of a heating appara'tus. Disposed within the tubular valve casing 5 there is a reciprocal valve member I2 which is preferably of the slide, or sleeve type valve and tubular in form so that it will be light in weight. The valve casing 5 has a bore l3 longitudinally thereof which is relatively larger than the diameter oi the valve member l2 to provide an annular space, or chamber l4 therebetween, the bore l3 having a reduced portion l5 adjacent its lower end for slidably receiving a lower end portion of the valve member l2. Preferably the relatively larger bore l3 terminates slightly below the apertures III in casing 5 and tapers downwardly and inwardly, as at It, intersecting the reduced bore portion IE to provide a port, as at I1. In the side wall of the valve member l2 adjacent its lower end there is provided a vertically extending slot or port l8 which opens through the lower end of the valve member. The slot i8 is preferably a tapered slot, tapering from a. relatively large cross sectional area at the lower end of the valve member l2 upwardly to a point, as at Is, at which it terminates or runs out of the side wall of the valve member I2. By reason of the tapered slot It the effective fiow capacity through port I! will depend upon the vertical position of the slot l8 relative to the edge formed by the intersection of the tapered bore l5 and reduced bore l5. Mounted on the upper end of the valve cas- 5 ing 5 there is a housing 20 which has a depending reduced portion 2| that fits into the upper end of the valve casing 5. The housing 20 is preferably secured to the valve casing 5 by a set screw 22 which screw threads through the side wall of 2 casinglandengagelinanannulargroovellin the reduced portion II.

The valve member I! includes a stem II which extends verticallyupwardthroughaborell in the reduced portion 2i and projects into housing II. Fitted overthe tubular portion of the valve member I! adjacent its upper end there is a tubular member 51 having at its lower end an external annular flange W il outer p p y slidably engages the wall of bore ii for guiding the reciprocal valve member, the valve stem 25 being guided in the bore 2|. The tubular guide member II, the valve member l2, and the stem 25 may be provided with aligned apertures for receiving a pin for connecting the guide mem-- ber, valve, and stem together. A coil spring ll surrounds the valve member I! in bore II and has its upper end abutting the lower end of the guide member 11 and its lower end abutting the tapered wall ll of the valve casing I, the spring 35 being operable to urge the valve member upward or in a valve opening direction.

Mounted on the upper end of the housing there is a solenoid ll for actuating the valve member II. The solenoid 55 comprises a movable core or armature 54 surrounded by a coil 55 preferably enclosed in a casing 55. Through the top wall of the housing ll there is a centrally disposed aperture or bore 51 which is substantially in alignment with the valve member I! and through which the lower end of the armature N is adapted to extend. as shown, when the solenoid coil is deenergised. An upper end portion of the bore 51 is or enlarged diameter, as at it, to receive a lower end portion of a tubular member which fits therein with the inner wall surface of the tubular member being flush with the wall of bore 51. The tubular member 5! extends vertically through the center of coil 35 and the armature 54 is disposed for sliding reciprocal movewithin housing 20. The adjustable stop member ll is adapted to engage the inner bottom wall of the housing 2. to limit downward, or closing movement of the valve member i2, while the adjustable stop member 42 is adapted to engage the inner upper wall of the housing 25 for limiting upward or opening movement of the valve member II. The stop member 42 is also engaged by the armature 34 when the armature descends to move the valve member I! toward closed position. The armature I4 is provided with a recess or bore in its lower end which extends longitudinaly of the armature and which is adapted to loosely receive an upper end portion or the valve stem 25, the bore 55 being of suillcient depth so that the lower end of the armature 54 will always be engageable with the stop member 42. Each of the adjustment members Ii and 42 may be provided with a set screw 45, engageable with stem 25 to prevent rotation of the adjustment members relative to the stem, after the adjustable stop members have been positioned as desired. In the side wall of the housing III there is provided an opening 44 through which access may be had to the adjustment members ll and 42. It will be understood that the valve member I! and adjustment members II and 42 may be rotated as a unitary structure, if necessary, in order to bring the heads of the set screws 0 so that they Inthepresent instanceanupperendportion oi the tubular member II projects above the top wall of the solenoid casing and is closedby a cap member 48 which has an aperture II for the escape of air to atmosphere from the tubular member a when the armature 54 moves upwardly. Extending downwardly from the top wall of the solenoid casing II there is a sleeve member 45 which surrounds the tubular member 30. The sleeve member is has an annular flange I which abuts the underside of the top wall of the solenoid casing I! and is secured to the casing by a resilient ring member II which fits in a circumferential groove in the sleeve member ll and bears against the outer top wall of the casing II. The housing 25 has a tubular boss 5| defining an outlet 52 for lead wires 53 which connect the coil 35 to a suitable source of electric current, and in the lead wires 58 there may be provided a manual switch (not shown) for controlling the circuit of the solenoid 83.

The operation of the device shown in Fig. 1 is as follows: when the solenoid II is energized the armature 34 will be raised permitting the spring 55 to move the valve member I! upward, or in a valve opening direction, until the stop member 42 engages the inner top wall surface of the housing 20. Upward movement of the valve member I! increases the effective iiow' capacity 01 port I1 and the effective flow capacity of the port, during the time that the solenoid remains energized, will be determined by the position of the adjustable stop member 42 on the valve stem 25. when the solenoid 33 is deenergized the armature 34 will descend and exert the force of its weight, through engagement with stop member 42, to overcome spring 35 and move valve member I! downwardly orin a valve closing direction, until the stop member ll engages the inner face of the bottom wall of housing 20. If desired, the stop member I may be adjusted so that when the solenoid is deenergized the slot II will be moved entirely within bore l5 and flow through port I! stopped. Also, the adjustment member 42 could be adlusted, if desired, so that when the solenoid II is energized the valve member II will be moved to a position permitting full capacity flow through port I'I. Between the extremes of closed position and full capacity position of the valve member II it will be seen that any maximum and minimum flow capacity of port I! can be obtained by adjustment of the stop members 4| and 42.

The control device shown in Fig. 2 is similar in construction to that of Fig. 1, but diiiers therefrom in that it has a leaf spring 54 instead of a coil spring 30 for moving the valve member in a valve opening direction, and the spring 54 is disposed within the housing 20. The leaf spring 54 may be secured at one end to the side wall of housing 10 by a rivet 55, the other or free end portion of the spring 54 preferably being bifurcated, as at 56, to receive the stem 25. The free end portion of the leaf spring 55 is preferably disposed between the adjustment members 4i and 42 and abuts the underside of the adjustment member 42.

What we claim and desire to seem by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a control device, a casing having a port for ilow of liquid, a reciprocal valve member in said casing cooperable with said port to control flow therethrough and having a vertically extending externally threaded stem, said valve member being operable to change the eilective flow capacity oi said port, means for actuating said valve member including electrically operated means disposed above said stem, a stop member adjustably screw threaded on said stem and operable to limit movement of said valve member in a valve" closing direction to determine the effective flow capacity of said port, a second stop member adjustably screw threaded on said stem above said first-named stop member and operable to limit movement of said valve member in a valve opening direction to determine the efiective flow capacity of said port, said electrically oper- Med/means being loosely disposed relative to said valve member and being operable to descend and engage said second-named stop member and move said valve member in said valve closing direction.

2. In a control device, a casing having a port for flow of fluid, a reciprocal valve member in said casing controlling said port and having a vertically extending stem, said valve member being operable to change the effective flow capacity of said port, electrically operated means disposed above and for actuating said valve member, a stop member carried by said valve member and operable to limit movement of said valve member in a valve closing direction to determine the effective flow capacity of said port, a second stop member carried by said valve member above said first-named stop member and operable to limit movement of said valve member in a valve opening direction to determine the efiective flow capacity of said port, said electrically operated means being loosely disposed relative to said valve member and being operable to descend and engage said second-named stop member and move said valve member in said valve closing direction.

3. In a control device, a casing having a port for flow of fluid, a valve member cooperabie with said port to control flow therethrough and having a stem, said valve member being operable to change the eflective flow capacity of said port, automatically operated means for actuating said valve member, a stop member adjustably carried by said stem and operable to limit movement oi said valve member in a valve closing direction to determine the effective flow capacity of said port, a second stop member adjustably carried by said stem, said second-named stop member being operable to limit movement of said valve member in a valve opening direction to determine a second effective flow capacity of said port, said automatically operated means being loosely disposed relative to said valve member and being operable to descend and engage one 01' said stop members and move said valve member in said valve closing direction.

4. In a control device, a casing having a. port for flow of fluid, a reciprocal valve member in said casing controlling said port and having a vertically extending stem, said valve member being operable to change the effective flow capacity of said port, electrically operated means disposed above and for actuating said valve member, a stop member carried by said valve member and operable to limit movement of said valve member in a valve closing direction to determine the eflective flow capacity of said port, a second stop member'carried by said valve member above said first-named stop member and operable to limit movement of said valve member in a valve opening direction to determine the efiective flow capacity of said port, said electrically operated means being loosely disposed relative to said valve member and being operable to descend and move said valve member in said valve closing direction.

5. In a control device, a casing having a port, a reciprocal valve in said casing to control said port, a pair of spaced stop members in said casing and carried by said valve, means cooperabie with said stop members to limit movement of said valve in opposite directions, means to move said valve in one direction, and a leaf spring having one end thereof secured to said casing and having the opposite end thereof interposed between and acting on one of said stop members to move said valve in the opposite direction.

ALBERT G. HANN. PHILIP S. RUSSEL. 

